The most important holiday in October (according to us) isn’t Halloween; it’s Manufacturing Day, honoring the work of the more than 12 million manufacturing workers across the nation. The day has special significance in Sanford and Lee County; more than 30% of our workforce is employed in manufacturing, more than three times the state and national averages. But all those manufacturing workers have one thing in common: one day, they are going to retire. If we want to continue making things in our community in the decades to come, we need to make sure that there’s a new generation coming up behind to take their place.
That’s why, each year, we’re honored to be a sponsor of Central Carolina Community College’s Manufacturing Day Industry Showcase. This daylong event gathers dozens of our area’s manufacturing companies under one roof to connect with students, showing them what they do, how they do it, and why a career in manufacturing is worth pursuing. This year, more than 800 students took part from public and private middle and high schools across Lee, Harnett, and Chatham Counties. They watched metal being cast, interacted with industrial robots, worked with drones, piloted construction machinery, and much more. And through all of it, they got an up close and personal look at the myriad manufacturing employers and careers close to home.
And the day didn’t end after the students went back to class. The Showcase remained open for adults looking to jumpstart their manufacturing careers, giving them the opportunity to connect with a host of prospective employers all at once.
Putting together this opportunity for students to explore a career in manufacturing was by no means easy. Schools had to take their students out of the classroom, giving up instructional time. Manufacturing companies with busy schedules and orders to fill had to trade off employee hours to set up and staff their displays. CCCC had to orchestrate the day and dedicate their time and spaces. But each of them – the schools, the companies, the community college – understand the value of this opportunity. Each of them wants to see students find meaningful careers, manufacturers succeed, and our whole community continue to benefit from the prosperity our largest sector brings, and they’re willing to step up to make it happen.
The next Manufacturing Day is Friday, October 1, 2027. By the time it comes about, many of the students who toured the displays this year will have graduated, and some of them will have begun their own manufacturing career. And by doing so, they’ll have ensured that the manufacturing industry has a strong future here in Sanford and Lee County.